District Blog

It’s what smart companies like One Wheel, Architizer and HandUp all have in common. Urban.Us, a fresh venture fund investing in seed and early stage startups, is co-founded by Stonly Bastiste. The firm’s growing portfolio currently includes 16 startups, and looks at initiatives that will positively impact 100 cities within five years. Baptiste reflects the caliber of innovator that CreativeMornings has been bringing to the breakfast table since the inception of its Miami chapter. In this month’s edition, he will be exploring the theme “Collaborate,” served up with free coffee and BunnieCakes in the Miami Design District.

Things often come in twos for John Baldessari. Those who know the famed artist’s expansive body of work will recognize how the relationship between vantage points, the use of multiple canvases, and the application of two or more elements are characteristic of his process. This theme is an interesting one for City View Garage, a new mixed-use building, which is part parking garage and part office and retail space. Wedged between interstate 95 and 195, City View is enveloped in a seemingly endless arrangement of tessellated metallics, while two of Baldessari’s monumental images stand-out on its façade like billboards along the highway. The artwork commissioned by developer Craig Robins may cause commuters to wonder if the artist’s works are an ad campaign for the revitalized neighborhood or a contemporary art installation; further, how will this distinction matter?

The World of Mr. Somebody & Mr. Nobody marries the distinct sensibilities of a Wes Anderson film and an African souk. For two weeks during Art Basel, this artful living and retail space presented a singular aesthetic of clothing, art and treats selected by founders/designers Sharon Lombard and Heidi Chisholm, and curated with Cathy Leff. Perhaps most endearing was the familiarity and communal aspects of the Mr. Somebody & Mr. Nobody marketplace, which along with offering things for sale, offered special pods for snacking, talking with friends, and even napping (much needed during Miami art week!)